Local Food Mania

Today was the end of the summer season potluck for Ajo CSA. I was inspired to prepare food and joyfully made a Saquaro Chiffon Pie (made with saquaro fruit juice, eggs from our chickens and the crust made with wheat from "the farm"), Pumpkin bread (made with pumpkin from our garden, an Asian Pear from "the farm", and again the wheat we sometimes get in our CSA share), Sun Tea (while not local, I had bought one that contained only herbs that easily grow here, including hibiscus which helps cool the body on hot days), and watermelon rind with vinegarette dressing.

Farmer Frank (from Crooked Sky Farms where our CSA gets its produce) drove a couple of hours to come to our little potluck. He answered questions and asked what we enjoyed in our shares and what we would like more of. Frank began organic farming because his father died of pesticide poisoning. You can see from the picture he looks like a stereotypical farmer. I really enjoyed learning of his integrity as a farmer. He recently purchased new tractors with Tier 3 engines, which are in complience with the new California Emission Standards. He believes that if you are calling yourself an organic farmer you should do all you can to be a good steward of the land (here's a post about the new green tractors). When one of members asked him about getting money from the government, he replied that he would not do it because our government needs all the help it can get. Isn't it great to know the farmer where most of your veggies come from? Farmer Frank also brought bags of compost for the CSA members, the Ajo Community Garden, and a garden at the local school.

Compost from the farm packaged in commercial compost bags.

Hanging out at Ajo CSA's end of the summer season potluck

And more on the local food front--dates and apples are in season. Nina brought me back from the Phoenix downtown market the most delicious dates I have ever eaten--they just melt in the mouth. They come in a zip-lock bag marked Mike. The apple harvest in eastern Arizona has begun. Nina is bringing me back wonderful little fresh Gala apples. I love eating locally and seasonally. The biggest drawback is that once you've tasted the flavor and experienced the vitality of fresh, organic, local produce you won't ever want anything else. If you need convincing here is 10 Reasons to Eat Local Food.

Jazzie took the pictures today, so I get to see a different perspective. I am surprised at how bad my posture still is. Is this the posture of someone happy, joyous, and free? I'm still carrying a heavy burden and it's all in my mind.

New life in the garden

I haven't taken pictures of the garden in a long time but this morning I was inspired by some new life appearing.

The I'toi onions are sprouting after having died back for the summer.

The orange tree I planted this spring is showing it's first new growth of leaves.

This butternut is starting it's third crop of delicious squash

What a trooper!

The monsoon garden my mom planted is up and growing.

Notice the O'odham Ha:al squash growing like mad in the background

It's finally producing squash after months of vegetative growth.

O'odham Ha:al Squash--this drought tolerant local squash is surviving under an established fruit tree that is only watered once a week.

Some other troopers that have been unsung as they grew through the intense summer heat.

Sweet Potatoes

Pomegranates

And I caught this girl being creative again.

Playing my accordian

Playing with home-made clay (she made it herself)

I was back in the kitchen filling up the dehydrator after a couple day hiatus, more granola, and corn tortillas. Both are becoming staples while I learn new living food recipes that I adore.

I have been thinking about energy bars and today I made some awesome energy bars with sprouted sunflower seeds, carob powder, date paste, coconut, diced dried saguaro fruit, spirulina, and a sprinkle of sea salt. They are simply delicious and I feel great after eating them. Actually they are too wet--more of a paste-- and the dehydrator is already full so I'm eating it by the spoonful. Delicious!!

Cooler weather

The heat is less in intensity today. When I went out to water the garden I noticed it. We have just adapted to spending most of the day inside. I just checked today's weather; high 102/low 82. Who would have ever thought I would consider that cooler (I am a Northern girl after all--raised in Idaho and Montana)

Today was the first day we collected three eggs from our three chickens. Bess, our Auracana, quit laying during the worst of the heat and Grace (a Wyendott) hadn't begun laying yet. Grace and Gweneviere (a Buff Orpington) laid like troopers through the heat.

We went on bike ride this evening and quite a number of people were out walking enjoying the cooler weather. It was our first ride to the park in several weeks. Yeah.

I taught Jasmine how to play cribbage today. Cribbage involves a fair bit of adding and I've been waiting to teach her until I thought she was ready. And today was the day. My little math wiz did just fine.

I took pictures of Jazzie dancing her way through cleaning her part of the living room. And believe or not, she did a fine job, the living room really did get as clean as she ever gets it.

A reading first. Jasmine went to get the lyric sheet in order to sing along with a song. OK someday soon I won't take pictures of her reading but it's so exciting to watch the process of natural learning unfolding.

I'm still cleansing my mind of old beliefs. Today I realized that so many of these beliefs center in "not enough". I'm not good enough, I don't do enough, I'm not successful enough, I don't have enough etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. When I look inside myself with curiousity--Who am I?--I find only beauty, joy, and love. I am happy to give up my little nightmare of "not enough".

I'm playing a new game with myself--an abundance game. I got the idea from Carol Look's book, Attracting Abundance with EFT. Whenever I catch myself complaining or judging something negatively in my own head, I pretend I am writing a blog post about that condition changed to what I want. (An example blog post. I'm so excited. I've noticed how easily the house stays clean. It used to be quite a struggle but now it is just a joy....)

Loving what is

This morning Jasmine had another dentist's appointment. I spent my time in the waiting room practicing loving everybody and everything. I caught myself in non-loving thoughts often but did catch them and did move into love. It was a beautiful experience.

We did errands on way home, one of which was to drop off stuff at second hand store. Aren't second hand stores lovely? I found 4 wide mouth quart mason jars for a dollar and Jazzie found two new elegant dresses. One of which she wore for her ballet performance later in the day.

We picked up and dropped off books at library and came home with Billy Elliot. Just in time for an after the dentist movie party.

...followed by a ballet performance--inspired of course by Billy Elliot.

I read to Jazz as she cleaned her things in the living room from the third book in the Wizard of Earthsea series, The Farthest Shore by Ursula LeGuin, a series my mother read to me when I was a child. Until it rained--yeah for more rain--and Jazz went out to float little plastic lids down the torrent at the edge of the street. I felt too heavy with sadness and dispair. I couldn't feel any love for anything but I tapped (EFT) while she played and now I can feel love again.

Just now waiting for the computer to load, I understand fully that it is all perfect, that the world around me is a mirror showing me just what I need to love and heal. And I do have infinite support of the Universe. I want to hold on to this knowing. I have known it to be true previously, but to know it so deeply in my body. What a gift!

Feel the Music and Dance like No one is Watching

This morning as I played the piano, I experimented with experiencing the music in my body inspired by Touch the Sound (an absolutely amazing documentary about Evelyn Glennie), which might be my favorite movie. When I really pay attention, I feel the notes vibrate along my spine and into the center of my body going up as the notes went up and down as notes went done. The lowest note on the piano was at the lowest point on my spine. This is simply amazing. The top few notes on the piano I'm playing are not sounding real notes, but the top note that had a pure tone resonated above my third eye. Could it be that the piano has the range of our chakra system?


I looked up Touch the Sound on You Tube to post the revelant part and the whole movie is there. I also found this--a TED show on Evelyn Glennie--that I've decided to post instead. She is simply amazing, one of my heros.




This afternoon, we played around with a bellydance DVD and the put on music and danced free-style bellydance. My little dancer is simply amazing.




Some wonderful things occured in my life today. I have much to be grateful for, yet my mind is heavy with old belief and the habit of negativity. I think it is the same as usual but now feels unbearably heavy. At times this inspires me to use the tools I've been guided to to change my thinking. I belive this is a time of clearing on fundamental level. In eating living foods my body is clearing toxicity and the rest of my life is ready to clear also. So my own negative beliefs are in my face ready to be dealt with. Thank you. All is so Perfect.

I finished one tape's worth of Arnold Patent and got to listen to it while I played in the kitchen this evening. I filled another load in the dehydrator with sprouted buckwheat apple cinnamon granola and butternut squash cookies.

....and more about watermelon rind...it is absolutely delicious cut up with just a bit of dressing (mine Olive oil, apple cider vinegar, a bit of agave syrup and a bit of salt) and sea salt. Absolutely divine and it feels so vital. I've been eating it all afternoon and I can't wait to cut into the next watermelon so I can eat the rind. Ha ha.

Another Lazy Saturday

I woke Jasmine up to the last chapter of Anacoana: The Golden Flower this morning. What a way to start the day. Anacoana is a chief of the Taino tribe at the time Columbus landed. The epilogue is tragic. Then I made pancakes which is a super special treat for Jazzie because I make them so rarely.

This afternoon we took a Jazzie's friend that lives down the street to the library. I have a new EFT book I got through interlibrary loan. Jazzie stayed at her friend's house and I played with my new book.

The social event of the week for me, is produce pick-up for the CSA I belong to. Tonight, Nina fired up the grill and allowed members to roast the Anaheim peppers we got in our shares. Jazz had loads of fun roasting her peppers.

Nina, the produce goddess speaking with CSA members next to farm stand

Jazzie gets distracted while showing off her roasted peppers.

While cutting up a watermelon with especially thick ring tonight, I decided to search for raw recipes for watermelon rind. Look what I found http://www.watermelonrind.com/, a website devoted to watermelon rind recipes including watermelon rind daquaris, watermelon rind gazpacho, many pickled watermelon rind recipes and much more.

Yesterday, Jasmine got out the Tarot cards and set up a reading for both her and me for the first time in over a year. We both had readings that indicated that now is a time of great inner change. That's the main focus of my life--changing my beliefs and thoughts. I'm putting it before anything else, but I find myself feeling guilty for not being "productive". It's all perfect because I get to see the beliefs I want to change. Thank you.

Gratitude

Today I'm grateful for....

this girl dancing through my life....

...and that the cleaning bug finally caught me after a long vacation. The pile of laundry is almost gone. The hallway and bathroom received much needed attention and Jazzie joined me enthusiastically for parts of it.

... and rain--I am grateful for rain. This evening it rained for the third time during our monsoon season (which is almost over). I'm sure the desert appreciates the rain too. We always get out in the summer rains and enjoy and celebrate them. Jazz wanted to go for a walk, so we grabbed rain jackets and an extra umbrella and headed to the clinic to rescue Grandma.

...and having someone else make dinner. Jazzie loves both Nori rolls and salmon. I bought her salmon to make Nori rolls with (we cook the salmon first) and she was just thrilled. She came in from the rain and cleaned up and got to work...

...and participating in this unschooling journey with Jasmine. It's so heart-opening to watch her bloom at her own pace in her own way. Tonight she is dictating her play into a tape recorder (same one I've been using to record Arnold Patent's book).

Back in the Posting Saddle Again

I haven't been posting all week but life is good.

The first day of school for local kids has come and gone. I almost didn't notice it except that it was a particularly schooly day at our house complete with reading and arithmetic. Jasmine has been enjoying practicing her reading skills at Starfall and spent a couple hours at it and then asked me to help her with some of her Mathmania magazines (subscription from her Grandpa, thanks Dad).

I've continued making living food snacks, more corn chips and sweet potato chips, sesame carob balls, and pumpkin butter to eat with the Asian Pears we are now getting in our CSA shares.

Jasmine caught her mom rockin' out at the piano and composed a picture.

I've had books coming in left and right. Well, two more books I had ordered from library came in and I've been spending time with them--You Can Have It All by Arnold Patent and The Promise of Energy Psychology: Revolutionary Tools for Dramatic Personal Change by David Feinstein, Donna Eden, and Gary Craig. The Arnold Patent book is so awesome I have started taping it so I can listen to it as I play domestic goddess. It's totally ACIM, but somehow the way he writes things is helping pieces click for me. In any situation I don't like, the only thing that is lacking is love. A Course in Miracles says this same thing plenty of times, but all of a sudden I really get it. Thank you, thank you, thank you Arnold Patent.

I've also been learning and playing with EFT and other energy techniques in The Promise of Energy Psychology. In fact, that's what I had intended to do tonight but my sister just contacted my mom because she couldn't find the address to this blog and could she get it? So I decided I better update a bit. And I took pictures today (yeah!) which is the single most determining factor on whether I post or not.

This stylish young lady came into the kitchen today and announced she was on her way to dance school. (And who couldn't run and get the camera when such an important guest shows up.)

This afternoon, we brought little goodies to Nina and Peter, including corn bread made from flour corn we grew in our garden. They were just finishing getting the new Ajo CSA website they created on-line. Nina is the goddess of fresh produce in Ajo and picks up things for me from the city when she goes, so I try to bring her offerings and worship so she knows how loved she is. Nina lent me a fabulous book Local Wild Life: Turtle Lake Refuge's Recipes for Living Deep by Katrina Blair. Oh thank you Nina, goddess of fresh produce, you are so wonderful. Local Wild Life is a cookbook and more, using both local and living foods. I love it!

Grandma brought home dry ice from the clinic and she and Jasmine had a great time playing with it. Jasmine spent the next hour in and out of the kitchen retrieving various items for her "investigating" and I enjoyed her enthusiasm as I played Domestic Goddess in the kitchen.

SoulCollage® and creativity reign at our house

This morning, I wrote up the answers to the "I Am the One Who..."
exercise for some of mySoulCollage® cards. It was wonderful. (More about SoulCollage® here)

Jazz woke up and joined me, sewing a pair of shoes for her play.

Grace came over to play and yeah it finally rained! Not a lot but enough to play in.

Running in the Rain

Never know what a couple of palm branches could become

The girls came in to dry off and try out the costumes Jazz has chosen for the play she is writing. Jazz has decided to give Grace the part of the highest and most beautiful princess because "Grace is really into that" and herself as a tomboy who doesn't quite fit the princess role.

Jazzie and Grace decked out in their costumes.

More raw snacks and more creativity

After posting last night, I went over to Green and Crunchy and stayed a while. I love her posts. Very inspiring! She posts mostly about creating beautiful living food snacks for her family. Her posts are complete and the pictures fabulous. Well maybe someday I'll be there....

I spent lots of time in kitchen again today. I am determined to eat only living food so I am stocking up on raw snack food. Yesterday the dehydrator was full of sweet potato chips and corn and buckwheat crackers and banana fruit leather (to be used for awesome strawberry crepes (recipe here). Today it got filled with sprouted buckwheat, pineapple, blueberry granola bars, sun bread (sunflower, sundried tomatoes, basil, and spices), and coconut green apple wraps. The coconut green apple wraps cracked and are not going to work as wraps but they are so delicious I'm eating them like crazy.

This evening I played with SoulCollage cards. I started the "I am the one that" exercise. It was powerful and wonderful but I think for it to sustain I need to keep working with the cards.

Jasmine found a picture of three capes in a Waldorf toy catalog we found as cleaning and organizing continued at our house this morning. She was so inspired by the capes she decided to write a play and then perform it with two of her friends (they don't know about this yet). She's finding costumes and creating costumes and figuring out the storyline and dialogue. She expressed to me today she would like to type it up on the computer and print it out. She off and running and it was all inspired by a picture of capes in a catalog.

Costumes

Accessories

and shoes.

Since we watched the movie "David", Jazz has developed a strong interest in the biblical David. At her request, I ordered every David book the library had that went beyond the "David and Goliath" story (2). We are almost through the first one and Jasmine has decided that Bathsheeba is the perfect name for her character in the play she is creating.